Facebook reveals selfish jerks, says study

Research by Western Illinois University has linked Facebook usage to narcissism, according to The Guardian.

This is not the first study connecting Facebook usage to narcissistic personalities. (LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images)

The study, which surveyed nearly 300 college students, found Facebook users who had more Facebook friends were often tagged in more photos and updated their newsfeed more often. Those users often also scored higher on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory.

The latest study, published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, also found that narcissists responded more aggressively to derogatory comments made about them on the social networking site’s public walls and changed their profile pictures more often.

A number of previous studies have linked narcissism with Facebook use, but this is some of the first evidence of a direct relationship between Facebook friends and the most “toxic” elements of narcissistic personality disorder.

Facebook is not the first technology to be linked to negative personality traits. Cell phones have been linked to self-centeredness as well.